US Layoffs — February 2020
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers filed 353 WARN Act notices in February 2020, impacting roughly 40,467 workers — representing a pullback from January and up 21% versus February 2019. Filings came from 41 states and territories, with an average of 115 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 55 | 8,076 |
| New York | 67 | 3,900 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 2,300 |
| Texas | 15 | 2,134 |
| Florida | 29 | 1,818 |
| New Jersey | 12 | 1,703 |
| Tennessee | 10 | 1,591 |
| Illinois | 14 | 1,559 |
| Washington | 8 | 1,484 |
| Oregon | 7 | 1,231 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | 1,230 |
| Alabama | 5 | 1,171 |
| Indiana | 3 | 1,046 |
| North Carolina | 13 | 931 |
| Hawaii | 3 | 836 |
| Ohio | 8 | 833 |
| Michigan | 6 | 784 |
| Minnesota | 9 | 721 |
| Virginia | 4 | 665 |
| Utah | 4 | 609 |
| Mississippi | 9 | 598 |
| West Virginia | 2 | 531 |
| Wisconsin | 9 | 524 |
| Massachusetts | 4 | 494 |
| Iowa | 6 | 480 |
| Kansas | 2 | 453 |
| Kentucky | 5 | 420 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 347 |
| Arizona | 3 | 310 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 262 |
| Colorado | 2 | 246 |
| Maryland | 3 | 198 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 174 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 147 |
| Montana | 2 | 134 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 125 |
| Missouri | 1 | 125 |
| Vermont | 2 | 105 |
| Nevada | 1 | 96 |
| Georgia | 7 | 46 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 30 |
California led the nation with 8,076 workers affected across 55 notices , followed by New York (3,900 workers) and Louisiana (2,300 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & Food | 28 | 7,038 |
| Transportation | 47 | 6,079 |
| Retail | 68 | 5,904 |
| Manufacturing | 51 | 4,058 |
| Healthcare | 21 | 2,911 |
| Professional Services | 21 | 2,777 |
| Information & Technology | 30 | 2,452 |
| Education | 4 | 1,640 |
| Finance & Insurance | 15 | 1,002 |
| Mining & Energy | 6 | 656 |
The Accommodation & Food sector led the way in workforce reductions with 7,038 workers across 28 notices. In a parallel development, Transportation reported 6,079 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 131 | 13,423 |
| Layoff | 96 | 11,090 |
| Temporary Closure | 4 | 322 |
| Temporary Layoff | 2 | 127 |
Closures accounted for 34% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waitr | Lake Charles, Louisiana | 2,300 | |
| Concordia University | Portland, Oregon | 1,012 | Closure |
| Hilton Hotel Employer LLC, DBA Hilton San Francisco Union Square | San Francisco, California | 923 | Layoff |
| Macy's | San Francisco, California | 831 | Closure |
| Brock Services | Kingsport, Tennessee | 824 | |
| Marriott Hotel Services inc, DBA San Francisco Marriott Marquis | San Francisco, California | 808 | Layoff |
| Fairmont Regional Medical Center | Fairmont, West Virginia | 528 | Closure |
| Durham School Services | Indianapolis, Indiana | 514 | |
| Metis TPS | Hawaiian Gardens, California | 500 | Layoff |
| Brodrick Baptiste | Hackensack, New Jersey | 500 |
The single largest action involved Waitr in Lake Charles, Louisiana, reporting 2,300 affected workers. Concordia University followed with 1,012 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The data underscores a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Accommodation & Food sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in February 2020. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is sourced from official state filings and updated daily by WARN Firehose, which also tracks SEC 8-K filings, bankruptcy proceedings, H-1B visa petitions, and unemployment claims across all six datasets. API access and data exports available.